


With a Whimper

by incogneat_oh



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Humour, punishment cuddles, short fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-14 10:08:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10534281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/incogneat_oh/pseuds/incogneat_oh
Summary: In which Tim knows the best way to make up.





	

Bruce had found them fighting in the Cave. Not brawling yet, not quite, but definitely not far from it. Mostly it was hurled insults and some intimidation, typical Bat-fare. 

He’d grabbed Damian by his hood and Tim by the scruff, hauling them bodily apart and into the air. 

One in each hand, he holds them aloft for a full minute, staring flatly between them. Demands roughly, “Are you done?”

Neither boy will meet his eyes. But Damian, once Bruce has looked away, glowers openly at Tim again.

“I said,  _are you done_?” punctuated with a little shake in the air.

Batman is not used to being ignored.

“Yes,” Tim mumbles, at the same time as a petulant;

“Yes, Father.”

“Good.” He sets them down and finally releases their uniforms, says, “Now shake hands and make up.”

There is a beat. Bewildered silence.

“What.”

“ _What._ ”

“I’m serious. Shake hands and make up, or I’m benching both of you for tonight.”

Tim, shaking out his cape primly, glances up at Bruce. A frown curling over his lips, he says, “I’m not your partner any more. You can bench your  _sidekick_ –”

Damian growls in his throat, sounding distinctly unlike a child. Then, sounding exactly his age, he whines, “ _Father_  this is  _unfair_ –”

They both stop under the force of his glare. When he speaks, it’s with quiet fury. He says, “Be grateful I only said  _shake hands_.”

“I vote hug,” Dick chirps, from where he sits at the computer and doesn’t even pretend he’s not eavesdropping. 

“You always vote hug,” Bruce growls, without turning around. “Shut up.”

“Actually,” Tim says, after a moment, surprising everyone. “I vote hug, too.”

“You–” Damian narrows his eyes. But, catching Tim’s smile, he goes a shade paler. Backs up on the Cave floor, half-stumbling, says “Father–” and then, “ _Father!_ ” as Tim gets closer.

And then. Well.

It’s chaos, for a minute, Tim getting both arms around the rapidly squirming boy. And then, as if in slow motion, they fall to the floor. 

“ _Ugh_ Drake, no–”

Tim, movements liquid, blankets Damian. Languidly, almost gently, he pins the boy to the ground. He struggles, but carefully, cowed under the gaze of his father. (And Tim is quick to shut down his movements, anyway.)

There is some brief wriggling. A few mumbles about child-services, some half-hearted cries for assistance.

Eventually, realising it’s fruitless, (and that no one is coming to his rescue) Damian stops. Lays there, limp and defeated. His pink face peeks at Bruce, over Tim’s shoulder. And he looks  _broken_.

“There we go,” Tim says finally, soothingly. Smug. And he props himself up on his elbows over Damian, says, “We good now?”

There is a pause.

“Yes,” Damian chokes out, hating himself, hating  _them all_.

And the second Tim releases him, the boy is scrambling out from under him, and to his feet. He’s halfway up the stairs before Bruce thinks to blink. And Dick is trying not to laugh, at least not while the kid’s in earshot.

Tim stands in an elegant motion, brushing some non-existent dust from the front of his uniform. Then he turns, smiling beatifically–  _angelically_. “You’re right, Bruce. I certainly feel better.”

**END.**

**Author's Note:**

> Also on [tumblr.](http://incogneat-oh.tumblr.com/post/55786548299/with-a-whimper-drabble)


End file.
